Worldly
by MonkandMiko
Summary: A collection of drabbles from the members of MnM. Theme: Worldly. MirKag.
1. Worldly Talent

**Title:** Worldly Talents  
**Category:** Drabble  
**Author: **bBlack Dahlia  
**Rating:** PG-13 ( T )  
**Challenge: **Worldly  
**Words:** 240

* * *

Another day, another shard.

Everyone was exhausted. Shippou had even fallen asleep on the way back to the village.

Now everyone was off doing their own thing, leaving her and Miroku alone. Kagome knew Inuyasha and Sango were angry at them, she couldn't help but feel her relationship with both of them start to slip. At first Sango even screamed at her, asking her why she and the letcher openly persued a relationship when she had Inuyasha.

But she didn't. She never had Inuyasha to begin with.

Miroku treated her better. He was much more worldly and knowledgeable than the irritable hanyou, and that thing he did with his tongue... oh what he could do to her with that tongue.

She quivered just thinking about it; her sitting on the edge of the well, skirt up around her hips, his head in between her...

'Stop it, Kagome,' she chided herself.

She could think about that when she and Miroku could disappear for a while.

She settled back against his chest, drinking up the warmth.

"Love?" His voice startled her out of her daydreams about his devilish mouth.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to go to the spring once Sango returns?" He wrapped an arm around her waist and slyly worked a hand up her shirt.

Kagome grinned. "Of course." And when they got there he would show her more of those worldly talents. 'God, I am becoming as bad as he is!'

----------  
I hope you all are more pleased with it than I am!


	2. Getting to Know You

**Title:** Getting to Know You (Part One)  
**Category:** Drabble  
**Author: **otempora01  
**Rating:** G ( K ) – Because Miroku was too shocked to do anything. _This_ time.  
**Challenge: **Worldly  
**Words:** 501

* * *

"So... how old were you when you first discovered you were a total pervert?"

Miroku opened his eyes only to find Kagome hovering in front of him, leaning forward on her knees with what he'd heard her call a 'notebook' and a 'pen' in her hand. He tried to lean back - she was too close and a man only had so much self control - then remembered he was resting against a tree and just blinked.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Kagome bit her lip in a rather enticing way - well, it _would_ have been enticing if it hadn't been Kagome, who could make lying on your back with your legs spread look innocent - and glanced down at her notebook. "About how many villages have you visited since leaving home? Speaking of which, where is home? Have you always lived with Mushin?"

Miroku blinked again. "Kagome-sama, what are you—"

"Just answer the questions, Miroku-sama!"

"But _why_—"

Kagome's cheeks flushed. "I have a project for school, okay? We're supposed to interview someone experienced in something. And, well, you're the most experienced person I know."

"Kagome-sama," Miroku began with a smirk. "I'm not sure that the thing I am most experienced in is appropriate for this 'project' of yours. Unless, of course, this is your way of saying that you've finally decided to bear my—"

"For future reference, the only reason I'm not hitting you or calling Inuyasha is because you're no good to me unconscious. Or dead."

"Duly noted."

They stared at one another for a moment, Miroku looking amused and Kagome seeming to get more and more irritated by the second. Finally, she released an angry breath and glared at him.  
"_Miroku-sama_, please let me interview you for my project. You're the only one I know who's... who's... I don't know... _worldly_ enough. You've been all over the place and seen tons of things and..." Her voice got quieter as she lowered her gaze, her shoulders shaking. "And I don't know anything about you."

Miroku's eyes softened. "Kagome-sama—"

"It's just—it's just that ever since we met we've never—I mean we as in you and me have never—actually, I'm not even sure if you've—with anybody—maybe Sango has—but I haven't—and what kind of friend would I be if I—I mean, _everybody_ knows about Inuyasha's problems with Sesshomaru and Kikyou—and Sango has Kohaku and her village—but I don't know _anything_ about you, Miroku-sama!" Kagome looked back up at him and Miroku was shocked to see there were tears in her eyes. "Not a thing! I know about your hand because I've seen it! I know about Mushin because I've met him! But I don't—I just—God, this is so _stupid_!"

Before Miroku could even begin to string together a response to that, Kagome had gotten up and was running towards the woods, calling something about needing to wash her hands over her shoulder.

Miroku stared after her, mutely.

--- --- ---

Okay, so we only had two drabble submissions this week. To be fair, we had a holiday on Tuesday and have been setting up a new RR (yes, a new RR! THAT will premier later tonight/early tomorrow.) so we've all been rather busy with that stuff. Many thanks to otempora01 and bBlack Dahlia who found the time to participate! (While even I was busy at work n.n; )

Next weeks drabble theme: Introduction (in honor of my vacation; I get to have a "Meet the Parents" type of experience n.n; )

Btw, I'll be gone for two weeks starting tomorrow, but not incognito. If anyone has any questions about the drabbles and/or RR, ask bBlack Dahlia (aka Vonnie for those of you on Yahoo!) and she'll be able to help you out. If all else fails, I'm still going to be checking my e-mail on a fairly regular basis.

Keep a lookout for the RR! I'm writing the first chapter and then handing it off to the next (randomly selected) author who has a full week -- seven days ONLY -- to write the second chapter. After them, another (randomly selected) author will have a week to write the third chapter, and so on and so forth. None of the authors are allowed to brainstorm together so none of us -- not even me! -- know what will come up next! Fun, yes?

Thanks again to participating authors in the drabble challenge(s) and RR! Where would the group be without you? (Dusty and surrounded by tumbleweeds, probably.)

Megami


	3. Only Two Part I

**Title: **Only Two I  
**Category**: Drabble**  
Author:** Winter Ashby (_rosweldrmr_)  
**Rating: **T  
**Challenge: **Worldly  
**Word Count: **500 - exactly!

* * *

Kagome sat and watched as Miroku's hand gripped his staff through the vicious winds his hand sucked in. The rings of his staff blew hard and chimed in the distance. Everything was becoming hazy, and the wound on her back that drained her blood and infected her soul with shouki was throbbing.

The fabric of her skirt whipped her legs angrily, and her blouse flew up and tore the scarf from around her neck. Her stomach was exposed, and she was sickly aware that she was too young to die. But if she had to choose between Miroku or what kept her from his Kazaana, she would pick him, because even if he was a lecherous monk, he loved her.

She could barely make out the agonizing scream of his tortured body buckle under the pressure of his hand. But she couldn't look away. She couldn't bring herself to turn from his defiant eyes, and shining remorse.

She could read his face like never before. She thought, perhaps it was because she would die at his hands, or perhaps she was finally seeing what he hid all this time. She could feel the skin around her eyes and mouth begin to pull out from her bones, and she cringed because she knew that it wouldn't be long now.

She was held firmly in the agonizing embrace of Naraku. His tentacles were on her skin, and his thick, blood-curdling voice whispered in her ear. But she couldn't hear him anymore. Not past the roar of Miroku dying right in front on her.

She fisted her tiny hands prayed for the distant help from a soul recently departed. She asked Kikyou to give her strength, and guidance to die in peace, like she did just a few months ago. She could feel the first tendril of power spiral through her veins and wrap around her heart.

It was soon join by other, and many more, until they twisted under her skin and burst through her fingertips. There was a white-hot light that shot from her eyes and enveloped her body from head to toe. Naraku's skin burnt under the light, and he pulled back enough to release her from his barrier.

Her skin burned and cracked in the howling wind as she dropped to her knees and gave Miroku one last, desperate look. She begged for death. She could already feel her body being pulled to him, towards death, and almost certain silence. And she was satisfied in her departure from this place, because she knew that Miroku would only be seconds behind her.

There was an otherworldly light, and the faint smell of fresh spring water. Kagome smiled through the dissipating darkness because she knew that in this place, she would no longer feel her skin peeling away, or the shouki-infested slash that crippled her in another life. She could smell dumplings, and hear the faint laughter of children in the distance, past the haze of memories she couldn't quite remember.

— — —

**Author's Note**: Ummm... I'm a little late for this challenge, but I'm slowly getting around to all of the ones I missed. And I FORGOT about Shippou, so just over look that, m'kay? There is a second part to this.

— — —

...a full week late, actually. Oh well, better late than never, right? Since there were only two responses that were turned in on time, this is actually a rather fortunate turn of events.

Thanks!

Megami


	4. Only Two Part II

**Title: **Only Two II  
**Category**: Drabble**  
Author:** Winter Ashby (_rosweldrmr_)  
**Rating: **T  
**Challenge: **Worldly  
**Word Count: **500 - exactly!

* * *

Miroku held her battered body as she lay flaccid in his arms. He'd seen the look on her face as her knees hit the dirt and she practically crawled to his Kazaana. But he could also see just over her crumpled form, Naraku stumble back as he screamed in pain and clutched his chest.

Somehow, Kagome managed to burn through his skin, past his layers of demon defenses he stole, and cinder his heart to ash. So as the last vestige of Onigumo burned, just like his body had done over 50 years before. Naraku was vanquished by the untrained miko who didn't understand the power she possessed.

His hand sealed and he fell to the ground at her feet. She saved them all, and yet, she didn't know. Because she asked for death, and greeted the partition between this world and the next with utter longing for death.

So he lifted her in his whole arms and carried her on his sore feet through the blood-stained forest. Buy only after he'd retrieved the jewel from Naraku's body. It was only missing one shard now, and Miroku knew it wouldn't be long before he found Kohaku and Kagome could complete it.

Sango's body lay in a clearing, bloodied, and accompanied by her faithful Kirara. Miroku wept again, and prepared a fire to keep his last remaining companion warm. As she slept, the mysterious blue aura that surrounded her body shown through the dark night in an eerie, otherworldly way.

InuYasha's human hair and nails were a stark contrast to the powerful hanyou Miroku fondly recalled. But Naraku discovered his weakness and prayed on them when they were defenseless. After losing Kikyou, InuYasha was hell-bent on revenge, and not even his blunt, rusted Tetsusaiga could protect him from Naraku's pilfered diamond spears.

Miroku buried the bodies of his companions that day, and carried Kagome far from their graves and the battle that took them from this world. He'd pull her close at night, in the cold of coming autumn and prayed that she would wake soon. Her aura permeated the chill and warmed his soul. He cried into her hair.

He carefully dressed her wounds, and spread an herbal remedy on her back. He carried her farther each day, from the place where their loved-ones rested eternally. But Kirara remained, to grieve, and to find Kohaku. He was sure, they'd meet again.

Two weeks after she defeated Naraku, her eyes flutter just outside a small village, and his heart caught in his throat. He held her close, and wept into her stained blouse and thanked Buddha for bringing her back to him.

She cried in his arms, because she felt life in her limbs, and death in her memory. She let the silent, strong tears mar her face, because she lost what she held dear, and clung to his robes because he was all she had left.

And so began the lonely journey of two companions, searching for death and life.

— — —

**Author's Note**: Ummm... I'm a little late for this challenge, but I'm slowly getting around to all of the ones I missed. And I FORGOT about Shippou, so just over look that, m'kay? This is the second part of this challenge, I'm thinking about extending it more... but I'm not sure if I want to.


	5. Worldly

**Title: **Worldly  
**Category**: Drabble**  
Author:** SpiritualEnergy  
**Rating: **T  
**Theme: **Worldly  
**Word Count: **267

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

"You are a very worldly monk. Did you know that, Miroku-sama?"

Miroku craned his head over to glance at the miko. He wiped the sweat off of his brow, and gave her a soft, reassuring smile. "Am I?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes."

"How so?" Miroku inquired.

The sun was setting over the horizon, the call of the birds echoing through the air like the drums of death as the blanket of night began to wrap around the land below it.

The souls of the now-buried bodies of a desecrated village would be hung up to dry in the remains of the sunlight until they could be put to rest, and Kagome knew that Miroku wondered when he would also have such an opportunity.

Kagome glanced further up the fields, watching the hanyou grumble as the last patch of dirt covered the graves they had created. She tried hard as not to cry. "You're just… very brave, Miroku-sama." She never wanted to pick up the shovel as he had.

The miko got down on her knees, cupping her hands together, and began to pray for the lost souls.

Miroku watched her, and found her presence peaceful as it collided with the sunset, despite the very dark moment. "You are worldly, too, Kagome-sama." He rested a hand on her shoulder – shoulder! – and gave it a small pat. "You are brave."

Time seemed to bend as seconds became minutes, and minutes became the shuddering souls that began to rest as they finally began to dry, with night finally enclosed around the world.

Kagome could still feel his hand. "Arigatou, Miroku-sama. Arigatou."

— — —

**Author's Notes: **I know. It's extremely late. I'm definitely going to try catching up to the challenges I missed though… here you go!


End file.
